


Lost With You

by MochaLDSxM16



Series: Bederia Stories [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: DressedinPinkShipping, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Pokemon, Pokemon Shield Version, Pokemon Sword Version, bede x gloria, bederia, bederia week 2021, btyu, gloria x bede
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:08:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29808885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MochaLDSxM16/pseuds/MochaLDSxM16
Summary: Bederia Week 2021: Day 7 - Open PromptA celebratory event marks the end of the current year’s Gym Challenge. Bede, from all outward appearances, seemingly wants nothing to do with the festivities. However, as the night progresses he ends up getting lost, but not in the way one would think.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Yuuri | Gloria, Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Series: Bederia Stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116434
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Lost With You

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not sure if my previous stories in this series can be considered fluff, but I’m convinced this one is pure fluff, so be prepared. But regardless, I hope you all enjoy and a big thank you from me to those who took the time to read this, late contribution to this fandom, it really means so much!

Bede steps off the Sky Taxi with Opal in tow. A security guard leads them down the red carpet leading towards the event hall. Velvet ropes and other security guards keep the mass of fans at bay as they walk.

Chairman Leon had decided to mark the end of this year’s Gym Challenge with a big Celebration. A formal Gala, where all the members of the League, Gym Leaders, League Staff, Referees, etc could relax and celebrate without the pressures of investors and businessmen/women weighing them down. Truly an event to celebrate the successes of the League, and those involved.

When Opal had first handed him the invite to attend, he initially scoffed at the idea. An event just to celebrate the successes of the League, just another excuse to get all dressed up and drunk beyond one’s means. But not too long after, it’s as if someone had flipped a switch inside him because he soon snatched the invitation from Opal and decided to go. His excuse being that he may as well celebrate if he had been invited and he may as well be Opal’s escort since she was invited as well.

Opal knew Bede had a completely different reason for attending, she knew his actual reason was much different than his excuse. It was written all over him, as he had spent an unusually long time getting ready for the event. On the ride to the event, he regularly checked any reflective surface to see if there were any stray hairs or wrinkles in his suit. Even when they got off, his movements seemed less calculated as they usually were. His legs were constantly shaking with each step, he kept rubbing his hands and his eyes kept darting in every direction.

“You seem, nervous Bede,” Opal playfully remarks.

Bede flinches from the comment before turning to face Opal, “Of course not!” 

Opal giggles, “Really? You could have fooled me, child. You can’t seem to sit still or stop yourself from making sure you look good.”

Bede clears his throat, “This is a formal event to celebrate the success of this year’s Gym Challenge Ms. Opal. I may as well make sure I maintain my appearance as I try to at least look somewhat amused by the festivities.”

Opal lets out another giggle as they enter the ballroom, she soon excuses herself to chat with some of her friends. With her gone, Bede takes a good look around. He sees rectangular tables, with an assortment of foods on each, line the left, round tables with chairs line the back, tall glass windows that reach from the floor to the ceiling, line the right, one of which has a door that leads to the balcony outside. In the middle there’s a wide-open space for dancing. 

Bede starts walking around. He sees all his fellow Gym Leaders, other League staff, acquaintances and friends. They’re either eating, drinking, chatting or dancing as they enjoy themselves. Though he can’t help but be amused at the scene unfolding on the dancefloor, Chairman Leon is flying across the dancefloor with a giggling Sonia in his arms.

However, there’s no sign of the Champion anywhere. Not with the other Gym Leaders, not with the other League Staff or not even with Hop or Marnie. 

Concern fills him as he keeps walking around. Along the way, he politely thanks the passing waiter that served him a Shirley Temple. Drink in hand, he makes small talk with his fellow Gym Leaders and League staff, he even has a conversation with Mustard about wanting to battle Opal’s protege. 

~Meanwhile~

Gloria leans against the edge of the balcony. Away from the hustle and bustle of the festivities inside, she stares at the clear night sky. The full moon glowing silver as the stars twinkle up high in the dark backdrop. 

She then lets out a sigh and turns to the hall behind her, eyeing the many pairs dancing together on the dance floor. Their movements are so smooth and graceful as the melody of the music guides them. 

For as long as she can remember, she fantasized about dancing the night away, just like in the balls in the Fairytales she read as a child. But being from a small town, she never had the opportunity to learn. However, she does remember, vividly, her mother and father dancing like that across the living room when she was young. They were so happy, so in love...But...

Still, she wants to learn, she wants to dance like that, she wants to glide across that large dancefloor like in her Fairytale fantasies. But at an event where she’s at the top, asking someone to teach her how to dance is quite daunting. Galar’s great and mighty Champion doesn’t know how to dance…How embarrassing would that be? In hindsight though, she probably should have seen this coming.

She thought she could get away with it by dancing with Hop, seeing as they’re from the same small town and hoping he has the same lack of dancing prowess as her. But even Hop, of all people, seems to know what he’s doing as he’s guiding Marnie across the dance floor, earning a giggle as she catches Marnie’s blush as he leads her.

She could have asked him to teach her, of course, and he probably wouldn’t mind teaching her but...The way he and Marnie are dancing together, despite all the fumbles, they look so happy, so merry, so in love... It’s so romantic to see couples dance like that, dancing like nobody's watching. 

And that’s what she wants the most, to dance like that with the one she loves, just him and her, having the time of their lives with each other.

“Bede...” She unconsciously says out loud.

“EEP!” She squeaks out and quickly covers her mouth with her hands before frantically looking around her. She lets out a sigh of relief when she confirms that she’s, in fact, alone. 

The thought of dancing with Bede, the one she loves so much, him leading her across the dance floor just like a prince would for his princess, gets her giddy...But knowing him, he’ll probably not even ask her, nevermind agree if she asked. He’ll most likely make fun of her for not even knowing how to dance. Besides he’s not even here yet and there’s little chance he’ll actually attend this event anyway. In short, dancing with Bede...out of the question.

Letting out another sigh, she turns back to eye the night sky, mindlessly humming along to the muffled music from behind her. 

~Back to Bede~

After some eating, drinking, more talking and walking around, he finds himself in front of the open door that leads to the balcony. One step outside, a rush of cool air hits his face, refreshing him from the stuffiness of the ballroom.

There, resting on the edge of the balcony, overlooking the courtyard in front of them, there she is. Gloria doesn’t seem to notice his presence as her eyes seem to be lost in the night sky. The full moon basks her in a silvery glow that makes her light pink dress sparkle. 

He manages to take a few steps closer to her. Now within speaking range, he notices the stars twinkling off her wide eyes that are filled with wonder and awe. 

Even before he realized he’s in love with Galar’s Reigning Champion, he couldn’t help but notice the little things about her. How her eyes widen and seem to light up when she’s happy or excited, how her nose twitches when she’s annoyed, how her, naturally, faint pink, cheeks glow a rosy hue when she’s embarrassed and so much more.

His ears soon catch the sound of her humming along with the music coming from the ballroom. Bede finds himself stunned at what he’s witnessing. Gloria is already pretty, beautiful even, in her own right. But there’s something about her under the moonlight, humming, beautifully he might add, to the music. Something that makes him believe that beautiful is not the right word to use to describe her right now. Something, almost, magical about her at this moment. 

Maybe it is what she’s wearing. Maybe it is her wide-eyed, in awe, expression highlighted with the minimal makeup she has on. Maybe it is her humming that convinces him that she could be a good singer... Or maybe it’s just her.

Maybe it’s just everything that makes her so incredible is finally settling in. Maybe it’s the kind of magic, only she possesses, that was able to break into the walls that Bede had spent so long building up.

“Gloria...” Bede manages to whisper out.

Gloria turns around and is surprised at who she sees, “Bede! You’re actually here!” 

Bede clears his throat and leans onto the balcony edge, resting one arm on its railing, “Naturally! Though I would have preferred to not attend this event that Chairman Leon factioned up. It would be rude of me not to celebrate the success of this year’s Gym Challenge and the continuing reign of Galar’s current Champion.” He replies in his usual confident tone. “So my heartfelt congrats for keeping your title for the next year to come.” He adds eyeing Gloria and trying to keep his composure against the hopeful, innocent expression she’s giving him.

Gloria giggles at his reply, “Well...I’m honored that I get a congrats from Opal’s protege and Bellonia’s Gym Leader!” She playfully adds while placing her hand over her upper chest and bowing slightly towards him.

Bede couldn’t help but chuckle earnestly at Gloria’s laughter and playful remark. It’s the way she carries herself, in her conversations, in her battles, in her actions towards others, just in life in general. She finds joy in even the smallest things and in turn, can share that joy with others, him especially. Not many people possess such a wonderful gift as she does. Gloria is simply amazing and so easy to celebrate. Speaking of celebrations…

“Speaking of celebrations Champion, shouldn’t you be inside celebrating?” Bede manages to utter out, trying not to be mesmerized by her.

She looks away, embarrassed, “Well...I was chatting with the other Gym Leaders, congratulating them for their successes. I also went around thanking the other League Staff for all their hard work...I ended up with Sonia and Marnie before...Leon and Hop both asked them to dance...” She replies while nibbling on her lower lip. “After that, I wanted to get some fresh air...So I came out here.”

Catching the moment she bit her lip, he knows she’s nervous about something, she always does this when she’s nervous.

“Gloria...is there something making you nervous?” Bede asks, concerned.

Her head shoots up as her cheeks dawn a rosy hue from his question, “N-no, no, no of course not! It just got too stuffy in there, so I wanted to cool off...”

“Hmm?” Bede says, steps closer and eyes Gloria’s expression.

“W-what?” She squeaks out, her blush getting rosier from his closeness.

Bede then eyes her appearance, paying close attention to her attire, consisting of a strapless light pink dress that reaches barely below her knees. “I must say, you look pretty tonight. Pink really does suit you.”

“T-thank you Bede...y-you look g-good too, pink suits you as well,” She barely manages to reply, eying his grey suit and pink button up combination. Then immediately scolding herself for the comment, he’s the Fairy Type Gym Leader, Pink is his entire aesthetic. He makes pink look good...too good, not that she’d let him know that.

Seeing Gloria in such a bashful position, Bede decides to test the waters.. He steps closer so that his arm brushes hers on the balcony’s edge. “You seem to be hiding something, dare I ask what?” He asks mischievously as his eyes lock with hers. 

This proves to be a mistake as he’s rendered unable to move. Her embarrassed expression, her wide, sparkling eyes, the blush on her cheeks as it starts to turn red. His eyes fall to her plush, pink lips, shining under the moonlight thanks to the lipgloss she’s wearing. 

“B-Bede?” She nervously squeaks out and nibbles her bottom lip before managing to glance away from his piercing stare.

His breath hitches as his imagination runs wild with fantasies of kissing those lips. To feel them against his lips, to feel her body against his as he holds her tight in his embrace. 

“Oh wow!” Gloria happily cries out as she quickly turns to the direction of the garden.

That pulls Bede out of his fantasies, he lets out his held breath as he turns to see what Gloria is looking at. 

His eyes widen at the view in front of them. In the courtyard there's a fountain, water trickles out of it as the lights within cause it to glow. Morelull and Shiinotic light the surrounding rose bushes with their soothing glow.

Gloria wastes no time running down the stairs to the courtyard below. 

Bede watches her fondly as she plays and dances around the glowing Pokemon. Her joy is easy to feel, he can see the bright expression on her face and her wide smile. He can hear her laughter as it carries across the courtyard to the balcony. Her joy, a constant reminder of why he has come to love her so much.

Not wanting to be left behind, he makes his way down to the courtyard where Gloria is. A soon as he reaches her, the muffled sound of music changes to a slower song, perfect for waltzing. She then starts humming and swaying to the music.

“Gloria?” He asks, trying his hardest to maintain what little composure he has left.

“Yes?” She asks as she trunks to face him.

Bede’s eyes lock with hers once again, he’s so entranced with her sparkling eyes that he forgot what he was going to ask.

Gloria nibbles her bottom lip again as his eyes stare intently onto hers, the blush on her cheeks getting redder much faster.

Without even realizing it, his eyes then venture back down to her lips. The urge to kiss her, to finally feel her lips against his, is almost unbearable. Driven by nothing but pure desire, Bede let himself lean in. 

With every passing second, his lips are mere centimetres away from closing the gap in front of hers. 

His eyes, finally, meet with hers and the weight of his actions finally sinks in. How close they are and the wide, shocked, look in her eyes as they stare into his. He was so close to actually giving into those desires and kiss her like there’s no tomorrow.

But her nervous expression stops him in his tracks. It’s quite clear, at this very moment, that this is too much, too much for her, for him, for both of them. Bede lets out a regretful sigh and reluctantly pulls back.

Bede had only realized his true feelings for her not too long ago and there’s no guarantee that she shares those feelings. The last thing he wants to do is to make her even more uncomfortable, than he already is doing now, after coming so far as friends. 

Truthfully though, this feeling is still frightening for him and he’s not fully ready to let her know how he truly feels...not yet. To kiss her, here and now, potentially stealing her first kiss...No! It’s much too early for that...If he wants to, properly kiss her, he’ll do it when he’s ready to tell how much he loves her. When he can confess without being afraid, when he’s confident in the feelings he has for her, when he’s confident he can give her as much joy as she gives him.

But...there’s no harm in teasing her instead.

Bede eyes her hand before lifting it up in his. His eyes drift close as he lets his lips lightly kiss her knuckle. This earns a squeak from Gloria which he finds absolutely adorable. 

Lifting his head and opening his eyes, he gives her a mischievous look, “May I have this dance?”

Taken aback by his request she nibbles her bottom lip again before looking down at their shoes, “I...I actually don’t know how to dance,” she admits as her cheeks begin to turn rosier once again.

Now it’s his turn to be taken aback, after which he clears his throat, “I find that hard to believe...you seemed like you knew what you were doing when you were dancing in those puddles back at Stow-On-Side and earlier with the Morelull and Shiinotic.”

“Well...yeah,” she replies, refusing to look at him. “But...to be completely honest, I never had the chance to properly learn. We didn’t have many events like this in Postwick. But when we did, I would decline if anyone asked and just avoided dancing entirely. Especially now that I’m, still, Galar’s Champion. I'm supposed to have it all figured out for my fans and fellow battlers alike.” 

Bede can feel her hand gripping his a little tighter.

“But...” She says while lifting her head, turning towards the ballroom behind them, “It’s almost like magic how naturally partners can dance so smoothly across the dancefloor, like those balls you read about in Fairytales,” she adds while eyeing the silhouette of figures gliding across the dance floor with an obvious dreamy look on her face. 

He can’t help but chuckle at Gloria’s ‘excuse’ before pulling her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. “Then allow me to teach you. With my superior skills, even an uncultured small-town girl like yourself will be dancing like a pro in no time.” He says with his signature smug tone.

“Hey!...I’m not that bad!” She counters in defence.

He lifts Gloria’s free hand, places it on his upper arm and pulls her a little closer to him. She lets out a squeak from the closeness, but tries her best to maintain her composure. 

“Follow my lead,” he says gently and takes a step back with his right foot, “Take all the time you need.”

She takes one step forward with the opposite foot, “like this?” She nervously asks looking down at her feet.

“Not bad,” he replies and moves his left foot to the side, she mirrors the move with her right foot.

A few good steps later, Gloria is doing a decent job of keeping up with Bede’s movements before stepping on his foot from an overstep. 

She freezes from the mistake and quickly steps off his foot, “I’m sorry Bede! I didn’t, are you-”

He lets out another chuckle before pulling her closer, “It’s alright Gloria, I’m ok,” he adds and uses his thumb to rub her hand in order to calm her down. “Some advice. Try shifting your center of gravity towards your toes, it will make your movements lighter and smoother.”

“A-alright...” she says focusing her eyes on her feet as she tries to balance on her toes.

He snorts amusingly at Gloria’s refusal to look up at him as she tries to maintain her balance, “You know Gloria, it’s considered rude to look away from your partner while dancing.”

“Huh?!” She lets out and looks up at him.

“That’s it, keep your eyes on me.”

“R-right...” She says while nervously nibbling her bottom lip again.

Bede lets out a sigh and lets go of her hand.

“B-bede...Did I do something wrong?!” She asks worried, “I’m sorry if I-”

Bede cuts her off by placing the palm of his hand on her head and rubbing it gently so as to not ruin her hair. 

“You don't need to apologize Gloria,” he says softly before smirking. “However, with the way you’re looking at me, it seems like you’ve fallen for me,” he adds while smirking.

“W-w-what!?” Gloria’s rosy blush now treading on red. “N-no I don’t- I mean I...”

“Oh my, now you’re all tongue-tied! Have my Fairy-Esque charms finally overcome Galar’s great Champion? If I’d known that sooner, I would have used that against you on the pitch.” He says, his smirk turning into a mischievous smile.

Gloria snorts from his comment, “Arceus Bede!” She manages to spit out. Well if he’s going to push her like this, she may as well push back.

“If you think you can use something like that on me when we battle, you’re greatly mistaken. I’ll make sure my Pokemon and I promptly wipe the floor with you and your Pokemon.” She adds determined while trying not to laugh.

“Oh? We’ll see about that Champion,” he replies smugly. “I assure you, the next time we meet on the pitch, I will wash you off that throne with a truly great Pink!” He adds in his ‘matter of a fact’ tone.

This causes Gloria to burst into laughter, she’s laughing so much that tears are forming at the corners of her eyes. Bede’s heart softens from the sound of her laughter, so cute and sweet, yet genuine and unabashed. There’s something so precious about her laugh and the smile that comes with it, so much joy comes out of both. Seeing that brings him so much joy. So much that he’s more than willing to push aside his pride and ego in order to bring that out of her. For Gloria, he knew, it was worth it every time.

The muffled song from the ballroom reaches its second verse.

“So Gloria?” He asks and raises his free hand up to her, “Shall we resume our dance lesson?” He adds with a gentleman-like tone.

She giggles at this, “Well aren’t you the _Ideal Gentleman_.” She says and places her hand in his open one.

“Of course, how else do I have so many adoring female fans that shower me with praise and chocolates for Valentine’s Day.”

“But it seems you like my chocolates the best!”

“That, I do,” he admits as he securely wraps his free arm around her waist once again. “Do you still remember what to do?”

“I think so,” she replies while balancing on her toes and placing her free hand on his upper arm. Finally, she looks up at him, making sure her eyes are locked with his.

“Ready?”

She nods her head 

“Just follow my lead,” Bede says and steps back, she follows with her opposite foot once again. He steps to the side and she follows.

Soon she is more comfortable with her steps, following his steps more naturally.

“Good. Now we’re going to speed up to match the melody of the music, you ready?”

“Yup.”

Some good steps, more foot stepping and many more moves later, Bede and Gloria are dancing pretty well across the courtyard. They waltz around the fountain and past the rose bushes as the Morelull and Shiinotic, sitting on top of the rose bushes, sway to the melody of the song.

With every step they make together, they become more in sync with the music and each other.

Wanting to push his luck, Bede steps back and spins her. She lets out a giggle from the sudden move which earns a fond smile from him.

Gloria can feel her joy growing with each passing moment Bede leads her. She is 100% sure there is a goofy grin on her face, but she couldn’t care less how she looks right now when she’s out here, dancing with Bede. 

In the back of his mind, he’s impressed with how much her dance moves have drastically improved since they began. But that feeling pales in comparison to the bubbling feeling of joy that is getting stronger as he dances with her. He has danced with others before, an activity that frequented the orphanage for some strange reason, but this is the first time he’s actually enjoying himself while dancing.

As the song reaches its bridge, he pushes his luck a bit further when he steps back ready to spin her again. 

Gloria, being a bit more prepared follows through. But instead of turning, like she expected to do after a spin, Bede spins her right into a dip, his arm wrapped securely around her, making sure she doesn’t fall. She lets out a yelp as he lifts her back up. 

Chuckling at how adorable it sounded, he leads her through the next set of steps once more.

Gloria feels like she’s dreaming. Bede, the one she has come to know and come to love greatly, is fulfilling one of her biggest childhood fantasies. She’s absolutely giddy at the fact that she feels like a princess dancing with her prince charming...Well, Bede is no prince charming by the usual definition, but he was kind enough to teach her how to dance and now they really are dancing like they’re at a Fairytale Ball. With every step, she can’t help but fall in love with Ballonlea’s resident Gym Leader even more.

Bede is now overflowing with joy. He cannot recall ever feeling quite like this. Yes, battling gives him a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. He and his Pokemon, being able to go all out and fight with everything they have...But this feeling is so different, so new and so warm. To feel this much joy with someone else, after all the years of feeling abandoned and alone. To hold her so close and to share this moment with the one person who has brought so much light into his life. Needless to say, he is very happy, over the moon even, that he gets to spend this moment with Gloria, the one he’s in love with.

**Author’s note: Now if they could only realize the other feels the same XD**

As the song reaches its last chorus, Bede and Gloria let themselves get swept up by the moment. Their movements become more fluid, playful and much lighter as they glide across the courtyard. Not even caring if they’re dancing properly anymore, Bede and Gloria dance and spin around each other, having the time of their lives.

With every step, every turn, every spin, every deviation they make from the traditional waltz they started with, they lose themselves further to the moment. As uncoordinated as their ‘waltz’ most certainly is by now, their movements are so in sync with each other that everything feels so natural. Like they’ve been dancing together since forever. 

The sound of trickling fountain water seems to get quieter, the glow of the Morelull and Shiinotic seem to become hazy, all of their surroundings seem to fade away. Only the melody of the music is their last remaining connection to anything real as the feeling of dancing on air finally consumes them.

Now completely lost in the moment, they dance with carefree abandon. Only the moon, the stars and the glowing Pokemon lay witness to something this romantic, magical even. It’s as if someone had cast a spell on the two, making them lose all sense of time and space, only focusing on each other in their own fantastical world.

Perfect, is the best word to describe this moment. Both Bede and Gloria are in a state of pure bliss. Wishing for nothing more, but for this moment, of them dancing together, be as timeless as forever. 

Though, unfortunately, reality has other plans.

Much too soon for their liking, the song begins to slow and so do their movements. As everything starts settling back into place, they become more aware of where they are and what they’re doing. But as the song begins to fade away, dread soon takes its place. 

The song is ending, their dance will end too, but neither want this moment to end. This moment, being out here, sharing something this wonderful with each other, away from the hustle and bustle of the other party-goers. They don’t want it all to end just like that, not that either are willing to admit that out loud.

The song finally fades into silence as their movements slow to a gentle stop. As the sound of trickling fountain water reaches their ears, Bede and Gloria maintain their hold on each other, making no intentions of needing, or wanting to let go. 

For a good amount of time, the two just stand there, in that same position, Gloria’s brown eyes locked with Bede’s violet ones. Neither of them dared to look away or make any sudden movements, if it meant breaking the spell that kept them in this moment.

Unfortunately for them, a Morelull decides that for them as it hops onto Gloria’s foot, making her jump out of their hold with a surprised squeak. With the moment finally gone, an uncomfortable silence fills their surroundings. Even the fountain became silent as it stopped trickling water only a moment after the Morelull made Gloria jump.

The spell is broken and now they are stuck, neither of them have any idea of what to do. They both want to get out of this awkwardness, reverting back to some form of their usual antics. But how could they do that after losing all time and place moments ago?

Time now seems to pass achingly slow as both are stuck in their internal turmoils, torn between wanting to say something or just be quiet. 

Deciding that enough is enough, Bede takes the initiative, “So...Gloria?” he asks, finally breaking the silence between them. 

“Y-yes?” She asks nervously.

He clears his throat, “I must say...your dancing has improved greatly since we first started. You managed to keep up with me despite all the times you misstepped or stepped on my feet.”

“Thanks Bede! I’m-”

“Though that shouldn’t be that surprising since you had someone as amazing as me teaching you.”

“Pffft!” Gloria spits out before giggling, earning a relieved sigh from Bede. “You got me there, I’ll admit. But enjoy it while it lasts, I’ll make sure you’ll be singing a different tune when we get back on the pitch!”

“Oh?” Bede says smugly, “We’ll just have to see then. But mark my words Champion, I expect you to sing my victory song when I take that title from you.”

Gloria’s light giggle becomes a laugh. Having caught her laughter, Bede laughs as well.

She manages to regain her composure and turns to face Bede and steps closer to him.

Bede soon finds his hands in hers and sees Gloria staring intently at their joined hands. 

“Hey...Bede?” She asks, not looking up at him.

“Yes?” He asks as his cheeks warm from the sudden contact.

Not replying, she finally lifts her head and leans forward. But before he can register what she’s doing, he feels a soft kiss being planted on his cheek. 

His heartbeat goes from 0 to 100 and heat surges up to his face as her lips linger on his cheek. He’s sure that his cheeks have turned from a pale pink to a deep scarlet in the span of a few seconds.

After a bit, she steps back, a visible rosy hue dawns her cheeks once again, “Thank you,” she says, a little embarrassed at what she just did, as he keeps her hold on Bede’s hands.

“W-what for?” He tries to ask, still shocked from her kiss.

“For teaching me how to dance! I had a lot of fun dancing with you!”

“O-of course, Y-you’re welcome, dancing with you was rather amusing as well,” Bede manages to spit out, his blush still a deep scarlet colour.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the fountain turns on again. The sound of trickling water startles them both, causing Gloria to let go of Bede’s hands. Music then fills their ears once again as the glowing Morelull and Shiinotic start swaying to its melody. 

_I can feel the magic around. Its melody, rhythm and sound, lights up my way, it takes me away_

They both turn to the source of the music, then to each other before letting out light-hearted chuckles.

_I’m light as a feather, I’m flying, I’m rising up till I can touch the sky. This is my time, my time to shine, and now_

“Well Gloria,” Bede says and lifts his hand to her, “May I have another dance?” He asks politely with a hint of playfulness underneath. 

She giggles at that and places her hand in his, even doing a little curtsy for fun, “I’d love to!” 

_I can see it clear. Take my hand in your hand, be the one that makes it real_

Just like before, they glide across the courtyard. With the melody of the song as their guide, they dance around the fountain, the rose bushes and the glowing Pokemon sitting on top of those bushes. They hold one another a little closer as they, once again, get lost in their dance and each other.

_Dancing with you, my dreams come true. Dancing with you, that’s what I’ll do. Dancing just like we’re in a perfect fairytale_

~Elsewhere~

“Do you think they saw us?”

“I hope not. I don’t need those two breathin’ down my neck for spyin’ on them.”

“I wouldn’t worry about those two.”

“Ms. Opal!” “Opal!” Hop and Marnie say at the same time surprised and jump out of the shadow they were hiding in.

Opal lets out a hardy chuckle as she walks up to them.

“The fountain has been turned back on as you requested,” a taller man says behind them.

“Thank you good sir!” Opal says after turning to face him. She then digs into her purse, “Here you are,” she places something in the man’s hands, “Something for your troubles.”

“Thank you very much!” The man says and walks back into the ballroom.

Opal then walks over to the balcony’s edge overlooking the courtyard.

“I was wondering where my successor went...” She says and chuckles. “But it seems like he’s busy sweeping our dear Champion off her feet, and doing so with such style!”

“You see it too Ms.Opal?” 

Opal chuckles again, “Such a wonderful display of Pink!”

“It is super romantic and all. But all this dancin’ around their feelin’s is drivin’ me mad! They both fancy each other, so what’s stoppin’ em?”

“These things take time. Especially for those who have been hurt by it before,” Opal says and eyes Bede specifically. “They don’t need to rush, especially when they just want to enjoy this moment, their moment, together.” She adds, sighing happily at her protege as he dances with Champion Gloria.

_Shimmering lights and shiny colours, and smiles and joys and laughter. Yes I know this is where I want to be._

Hop and Marnie look at Opal, then at each other before smiling.

_Yes I know this is where I want to be._

They then turn to lean against the balcony’s edge, joining Opal as they watch Bede and Gloria joyfully dance together without a care in the world.

_Dancing with you_

_“Treasure these moments as if they won’t return, do that and you’ll never have regrets” - Erza Scarlet_


End file.
